Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

Information on habitat use among highly migratory green sea turtles is especially important for effective conservation – especially in urban habitats. However, long migration distances between sea turtle feeding grounds and nesting beaches make these long-lived marine reptiles difficult to study. Combining techniques, such as skeletochronology with stable isotope values from annual bone growth layers, can help determine life history traits and movement patterns of sea turtles. For one component of my capstone project, I helped members of the Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center take inventory of the East Pacific (EP) population of green turtles in San Diego Bay. Along with fieldwork, I worked in NOAA’s Marine Turtle Demography Laboratory prepping samples for stable isotope analysis. Finally, I analyzed data collected by NOAA to evaluate if trace elements found in bones, such as barium (Ba), magnesium (Mg), and strontium (Sr), could also be used to

reconstruct transitions between oceanic and coastal life stages in sea turtles. For my capstone deliverable, I combined geographic maps, satellite telemetry data, stable isotope data, skeletochronology data, narrative text, and multimedia content to share case studies of well-known EP green sea turtles in an interactive, dynamic, and meaningful way. The long-term data stored in the bones of sea turtles, along with the information gained from multiple captures over time, has helped reconstruct movement patterns of these highly migratory reptiles. Through my ArcGIS Storymap, I can share this conservation success story - to give people hope, to inspire action, and to ensure the protection and continued success of these turtles and their habitat. I hope the turtle stories bring curiosity, and a better understanding of the amazing science that is improving conservation efforts for sea turtles around the globe.